Bad News (Not) Bears

   Once upon a time, in a land called High School, there was a freshman having a difficult time dealing with the divorce of her parents and the events that surrounded it. During that time, the High School social worker informed the freshman that she was grieving and that grieving takes time. The freshman was shocked to hear that she was grieving because she had always associated "grieving" with "death of a loved one". However, that isn't always the case. Grief can come in all shapes and sizes and for a myriad of different reasons. If someone is grieving, it means that they are experiencing deep sorrow. Obviously, this kind of heartbreak does, indeed, occur when a loved one passes away, but we can experience grief over any kind of real loss. 

   Have you ever received bad news? Of course you have. But, did it ever occur to you that you may need to grieve as a result? It may sound a bit odd at first, much like it did for the previously mentioned freshman in High School Land, but (I think) it's totally legit. For example, let's say that you have never had any specific reason to think that you might lose your hearing. And then, one day, after you've been straining to hear certain things for a while, you get your hearing testing. And, after the test, the audiologist tells you that you have mild to moderate hearing loss that will most likely continue to get worse and that you will, eventually, need hearing aids. Even if you are unlikely to lose all hearing, you have still experienced a loss that you didn't necessarily see coming. And, as a result, it is completely natural to need to process this information and potentially grieve for the hearing aid-less life you imagined living. Does that make sense? I hope so. I think this concept could be applied to many losses in our lives and, potentially, help us work through the tough stuff, accept our new reality, and eventually heal the heartbreak as much as possible. 

   With that being said, if you've recently been hit with a loss in your life, PLEASE let yourself grieve. It's okay to be sad and upset. I know these aren't pleasant feelings, but sometimes they are necessary. It's okay to cry and feel shitty for a while, just be sure to check in with yourself and make sure you aren't dwelling. Obviously, it's not good to grieve forever, but there is a time and a place for it. Also, if you haven't seen Kati Morton's video on Grief and Grieving, I would strongly encourage you to check it out! She also has some other videos in which she answers questions about grief. Here are the links: 

• Is it possible to grieve for someone who hasn’t actually died yet?
• What's the difference between normal grief and depression?
• Is it normal to grieve the loss of therapy?

I hope this oh-so unprofessional advice is of some help to someone out there. If you have anything you'd like to see me blog (or vlog) about, please feel free to let me know. I'd love to hear your thoughts!


Until Next Time, 
Carly (But really Batman)